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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. press — to push
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. file — a document
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hand — in cards
  18. file — a tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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