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: race · staff · press · spell · kick · field · bore · wake

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. field — a subject
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spell — magic
  8. race — humankind
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — letters
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. press — to push
  19. bore — to tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. kick — in football
  22. race — the arms race
  23. staff — employees
  24. field — for sport

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