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: fan · rock · court · press · foot · lash · stem · ground

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rock — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — to push
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — for sport
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — a stone

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