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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. chest — a box
  4. object — to protest
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cold — not warm
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pop — music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. foot — a measure
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. press — a publisher
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rock — music
  24. pop — to visit

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