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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — goods
  12. snap — to click
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — finally
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tear — from crying
  20. press — to push
  21. last — to go on
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — to breed
  24. last — final

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