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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for golf
  3. degree — an amount
  4. club — for dancing
  5. press — to push
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — a publisher
  8. firm — steady
  9. degree — temperature
  10. firm — decided
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — a group
  20. firm — a company
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. degree — from a university
  24. march — music

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