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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — in sport
  4. spell — letters
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — to push
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — a leader

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