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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. press — to push
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. field — farmland
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. press — a publisher
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. field — for sport
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. shower — rain
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. roll — a list
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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