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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — a stone
  3. press — to push
  4. bore — to tire
  5. face — to confront
  6. squash — the sport
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — in music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — of ice
  17. press — a publisher
  18. face — part of the head
  19. kid — child
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a lid

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