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: fine · press · ground · mug · staff · jam · root · season

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fine — all right
  3. root — of a plant
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — a publisher
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — high quality
  10. season — of the year
  11. root — of a word
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mug — a face
  17. season — in sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — newspapers
  24. root — the cause

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