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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. clip — for paper
  4. plane — a tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. press — to push
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. key — in music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wax — to grow
  13. sharp — clever
  14. clip — to cut
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. clip — a video
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — government
  24. wax — in the ear

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