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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mug — a cup
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — government
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. press — newspapers

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