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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. press — to push
  3. capital — money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. press — newspapers
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — the amount
  17. capital — a city
  18. march — music
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. content — happy
  24. coach — a trainer

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