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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tear — to rip
  5. press — to push
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. press — a publisher

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