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 · safe · foot · game · stick · rush · capital · tear

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — from crying
  7. foot — a measure
  8. game — a match
  9. capital — money
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. game — wild animals
  24. press — a publisher

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