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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. press — a publisher
  16. march — music
  17. press — to push
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stand — to bear
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — from crying
  22. march — the month
  23. tear — to rip
  24. press — newspapers

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