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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. land — ground
  11. scale — size or range
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — the season
  19. squash — the sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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