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: rash · court · kick · spring · rock · press · key · fine

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spring — the season
  3. press — newspapers
  4. court — for sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spring — a coil
  11. press — a publisher
  12. court — of a king
  13. spring — of water
  14. key — in music
  15. court — of law
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rock — music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. rock — a stone

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