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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — a country
  4. present — there
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. land — ground
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mate — a partner
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — to come down
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — a friend
  20. game — a match
  21. band — a ring
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a rubber band

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