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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. press — a publisher
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. press — newspapers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. land — to come down
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. land — a country
  19. press — to push
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. last — finally

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