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: cold · spell · press · track · rush · key · lean · season

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a path
  3. press — newspapers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cold — not warm
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — a short time
  8. season — in sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. lean — thin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cold — an illness
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. spell — letters
  22. track — a song
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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