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: chest · tube · press · suit · pound · club · rule · shower

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — rain
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. club — a group
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chest — a box
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. press — to push
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for golf
  21. shower — to wash
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pound — a weight
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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