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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · swing · press · cabinet · rule · clip

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — government
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rule — a law
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — newspapers

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