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 124 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. drill — army training
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. mug — a face
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — after costs
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mug — to rob
  15. net — in sport
  16. chest — a box
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chip — to eat
  20. press — to push
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. net — for catching
  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