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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. press — to push
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — to protest
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — of ice
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — a thing
  23. mate — to breed
  24. row — a line

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