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: bowl · spell · dip · pass · racket · mine · pitch · press

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spell — letters
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — newspapers
  24. dip — a sauce

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