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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. capital — money
  4. object — to protest
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — an aim
  7. band — a music group
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — steady
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. kick — in football
  14. ground — the earth
  15. firm — a company
  16. capital — a city
  17. ground — a position
  18. press — a publisher
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. press — to push

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