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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — the earth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chest — a box
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pit — a hole

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