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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. band — a music group
  14. kid — to tease
  15. press — newspapers
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. press — a publisher
  24. branch — of a bank

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