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 116 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: fine · mug · rule · press · tear · court · clip · plane

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rule — a law
  4. clip — a video
  5. press — a publisher
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — to rob
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — a face
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — government
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — newspapers

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