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: swing · mate · press · staff · rash · season · racket · wake

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. swing — in golf
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. season — in sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — to push
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wake — a trail
  24. press — a publisher

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