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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — for betting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — to push
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — a grade

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