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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. land — ground
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — completely
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. land — to come down
  22. rule — government
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — a country

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