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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — of ice
  4. court — of law
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — a song
  7. press — to push
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. press — a publisher
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. court — for sport
  17. march — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cap — a hat

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