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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — an injury
  7. race — a contest
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — the arms race
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — humankind
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. board — a committee

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