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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rest — a break
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. current — happening now
  5. tube — a container
  6. object — an aim
  7. current — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — a publisher
  10. row — a line
  11. current — electric
  12. row — to paddle
  13. tube — the underground
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — to protest
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ground — the earth

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