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 · stick · roll · game · tube · capital · nail · rash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — a publisher
  7. roll — a cake
  8. press — to push
  9. game — wild animals
  10. roll — a list
  11. game — a match
  12. capital — money
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. capital — a city
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — a series
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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