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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. content — the amount
  4. toast — bread
  5. press — a publisher
  6. content — happy
  7. press — to push
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rash — a series
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. land — a country
  18. rash — hasty
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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