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: rest · band · cabinet · prune · suit · press · bat · deal

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a ring
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — in cards
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bat — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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