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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — help
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kid — child
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — a monarch

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