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: suit · capital · mate · bowl · bay · bat · band · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. suit — in cards
  15. press — to push
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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