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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — to push
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — electric
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — for digging
  11. track — a path
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — a publisher
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. press — newspapers
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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