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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — a garden tool

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