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: charge · field · deal · press · cue · face · stand · ground

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — to confront
  8. field — a subject
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cue — a hint
  12. charge — a price
  13. face — to point toward
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cue — a signal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. charge — in control
  22. press — to push
  23. field — for sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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