ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. file — a tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. field — a subject
  10. object — a thing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — the season
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. spring — of water
  16. bore — to tire
  17. field — for sport
  18. file — a line of people
  19. press — to push
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — to protest
  23. file — a document
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com