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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — government
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. drill — a practice
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. last — final
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — to go on
  15. drill — army training
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. club — for dancing
  23. last — finally
  24. club — a group

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