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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. press — to push
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. capital — a city
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. capital — money
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — the animal

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