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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wax — to grow
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a document

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