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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. can — to be able to
  3. degree — from a university
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — help
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. press — a publisher

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