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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. press — to push
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. capital — a city
  14. game — a match
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. capital — money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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