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: key · press · season · drill · squash · chip · object · rush

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. key — in music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rush — to hurry

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