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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. press — to push
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. charge — a price
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hand — in cards
  13. game — a match
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — newspapers
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hand — help
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — in control
  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