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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. roll — a cake
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. content — the amount
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — hurry
  11. content — happy
  12. kid — child
  13. cell — a phone
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — for a lock
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. key — in music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ruler — for measuring

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