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: kid · present · wound · press · fine · rule · rest · bass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. kid — child
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kid — to tease
  9. present — a gift
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fine — all right
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. press — to push
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — the time now
  19. rest — a break
  20. present — there
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bass — low music

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