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 120 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: fall · last · kick · press · fan · band · stand · field

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. last — final
  5. press — to push
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a ring
  12. last — finally
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — to go on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. field — for sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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