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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. press — to push
  2. spell — magic
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. object — to protest
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — newspapers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — the underground
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. tube — a container
  22. content — the amount
  23. spell — letters
  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