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: tube · press · drill · field · dip · wax · mouse · squash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. field — for sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. tube — a container
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — to push
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. squash — the vegetable

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