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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — the cause
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. press — a publisher
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. firm — a company
  9. rule — a law
  10. band — a ring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rule — government
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — to push
  16. bound — tied together
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. band — a music group
  20. race — humankind
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. root — of a word
  23. bound — certain
  24. press — newspapers

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