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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. firm — a company
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — a city
  8. band — a music group
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fine — all right
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. band — a ring
  19. capital — money
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kid — child
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — a position
  24. capital — a big letter

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