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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rest — a break
  10. field — a subject
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — of water
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. press — newspapers
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rest — what's left
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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