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: season · date · last · stand · object · squash · press · jam

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. press — a publisher
  6. season — in sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stand — to bear
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — a thing
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. press — to push
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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