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 · wind · firm · squash · tube · cap · cell · bear

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — a container
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. firm — decided
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cell — a phone
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — in biology
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — the animal

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