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: pitcher · foot · degree · pass · press · fork · spring · season

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. degree — from a university
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — to push
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. foot — the bottom
  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