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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — certain
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. net — after costs
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — to push
  24. cue — a signal

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