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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. press — to push
  3. sharp — clever
  4. club — for dancing
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — army training
  7. pass — a permit
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. club — a group
  11. land — to come down
  12. season — in sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. season — of the year
  17. press — a publisher
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — for golf
  21. land — ground
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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