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

Word bank: saw · kid · tear · court · club · press

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — a publisher
  6. tear — to rip
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. kid — child
  10. press — newspapers
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kid — to tease

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