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: press · bat · rule · degree · tube · mug

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — a law
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tube — a container
  12. bat — the animal
  13. press — to push
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mug — to rob
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — in a tire

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