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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — certain
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. game — a match
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cold — not warm
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spell — magic
  24. game — a kind of play

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