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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bore — to tire
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — in sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kid — child
  24. board — to get on

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