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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. press — to push
  5. last — to go on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bound — certain
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. land — to come down
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — to eat
  12. land — ground
  13. last — finally
  14. chip — for betting
  15. land — a country
  16. last — final
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bound — obliged
  24. dip — to dunk

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