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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. drill — a practice
  17. game — a match
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — army training
  24. dip — a sauce

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