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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. tube — a container
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — to protest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mark — a grade
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. press — to push
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ground — the earth
  18. field — a subject
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tube — the underground
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  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