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: wind · mug · drill · degree · coach · press · ruler · object

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — from a university
  5. object — a thing
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. press — to push
  9. mug — a cup
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. degree — an amount
  13. object — to protest
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. object — an aim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a face
  24. drill — a practice

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