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: scale · march · kid · stand · press · wave · squash · file

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. march — the month
  8. kid — child
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kid — to tease
  21. squash — the sport
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — to bear
  24. march — music

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