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: kid · cap · bear · field · fine · swing · rest · press

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — to push
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. field — farmland
  18. kid — child
  19. press — newspapers
  20. kid — to tease
  21. field — a subject
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cap — a hat

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