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: spring · content · pit · racket · fork · press · arm · wave

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. content — the amount
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — newspapers
  7. content — happy
  8. spring — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pit — in a race
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spring — a coil

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