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: plane · last · jam · march · bowl · kick · press · spell

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — magic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. press — a publisher
  11. march — music
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. march — the month
  23. press — to push
  24. last — to go on

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