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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — to push
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wind — moving air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — newspapers
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to confront
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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