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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. press — to push
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. club — a group
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. press — newspapers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cell — in a prison

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