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: stick · deal · field · press · capital · toast · staff · mouse

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. field — a subject
  5. staff — employees
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. toast — bread
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. capital — a city
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — for sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. press — to push
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. press — a publisher

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