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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. press — to push
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — the animal

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