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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · track · game · pop · spring · press

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. press — newspapers
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. pop — soda
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pop — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spring — of water
  17. pop — to visit
  18. game — wild animals

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