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: cabinet · ball · pop · mine · mug · press · key · game

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. game — a match
  4. key — for a lock
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. press — to push
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — in music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — for digging
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mug — a face
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — soda
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a dance

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