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: cap · press · bat · tube · scale · board · plane · rule

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. board — a committee
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — a container
  11. press — to push
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. tube — in a tire

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