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: spell · fork · toast · pop · net · wake · hide · press

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. press — to push
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — after costs
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — soda
  15. net — in sport
  16. pop — to visit
  17. net — for catching
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wake — a trail
  21. toast — bread
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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