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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — farmland
  6. clip — for paper
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — a contest
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. clip — to cut
  12. race — humankind
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. clip — a video
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — a division
  21. kid — to tease
  22. field — a subject
  23. kid — child
  24. press — a publisher

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