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: ground · press · tear · pop · rule · cabinet · clip · ruler

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — for paper
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pop — music
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — soda
  13. clip — a video
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rule — a law
  18. ground — the earth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — crushed
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — a position
  24. ruler — for measuring

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