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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — a company
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — steady
  8. stock — goods
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — decided
  14. present — there
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. press — newspapers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — the earth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — high quality

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