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: cap · spell · press · tube · wake · toast · leaves · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spring — the season
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spell — letters
  9. toast — bread
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spring — of water
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — a trail
  20. tube — a container
  21. spell — a short time
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spell — magic

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