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 ________________ the button?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a word
  10. ball — a great time
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — in a road
  15. root — of a plant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — money
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — newspapers
  20. capital — a city
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. capital — a big letter

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