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: prune · ground · can · sharp · tube · ruler · press · game

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — a publisher
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — a position
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. game — a match
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — crushed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — the earth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — the underground

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