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 · field · press · net · spell · patient · hide · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. field — for sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. race — the arms race
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. press — to push
  12. net — for catching
  13. race — humankind
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — farmland
  17. toast — bread
  18. race — a contest
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — a subject
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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