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: last · mate · press · leaves · date · jam · swing · dip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. date — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. last — finally
  6. swing — in golf
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. last — to go on
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. press — newspapers
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mate — a partner
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mate — to breed
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — final
  23. mate — a friend
  24. swing — music

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