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: date · cold · press · pitcher · toast · rush · key · bay

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — not warm
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. press — to push
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — a jug

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