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: key · cap · fine · press · pound · squash · safe · wake

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fine — high quality
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — to push
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wake — before a funeral

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