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: mate · deal · game · object · board · pop · press · present

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — soda
  3. board — to get on
  4. object — to protest
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pop — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. object — an aim
  10. press — newspapers
  11. present — the time now
  12. game — wild animals
  13. deal — to handle
  14. present — there
  15. board — a committee
  16. object — a thing
  17. press — to push
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — a friend
  24. game — a match

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