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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — a weight
  4. squash — to crush
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. current — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. game — a match
  11. present — the time now
  12. current — electric
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — in music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — there
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. game — wild animals
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — a young 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