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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — final
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wax — to grow
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. last — to go on
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — to push

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