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: press · mate · hand · stem · leaves · date · last · squash

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. press — to push
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — the fruit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. press — a publisher
  21. last — finally
  22. hand — help
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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