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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — the cause
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rule — a law
  7. hand — help
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. root — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. clip — a video
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — government
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mate — a partner
  24. root — of a word

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