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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tear — from crying
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — for betting

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