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 120 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: bulb · kid · rock · press · straw · rule · tear · squash

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — to crush
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. squash — the sport
  7. press — a publisher
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tear — to rip
  13. press — to push
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. kid — child
  18. rule — a law
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — to move gently

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