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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rule — government
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to click
  15. capital — money
  16. rash — a series
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. capital — a city
  20. rule — a law
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. press — to push
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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