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: band · bear · content · mine · suit · press · pop · mate

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. content — the amount
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. suit — in cards
  12. content — happy
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a music group
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. press — a publisher
  20. band — a ring
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — soda
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — newspapers

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