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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. march — the month
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. press — to push
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. squash — to crush
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — a publisher
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. roll — a list
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. press — newspapers
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — music
  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