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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — magic
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — all right
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — high quality
  23. net — for catching
  24. bat — in an idiom

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