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: press · wave · net · mug · ruler · degree · spring · saw

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. press — to push
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — the season
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — to rob
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wave — of the sea

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