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 120 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 · court · bound · drill · object · bay · rash · spell

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bound — certain
  7. drill — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — for sport
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — a thing
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bound — tied together
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. object — an aim
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — letters
  24. court — of law

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