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: press · current · foot · tube · game · roll · bay · net

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. game — a match
  3. net — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. game — wild animals
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. net — after costs
  14. current — electric
  15. press — a publisher
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tube — the underground
  20. current — of water
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. roll — a list
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. press — to push

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