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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. press — to push
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rule — a law
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. drill — army training
  14. rule — government
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. capital — money
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cell — in biology

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