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 116 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: spring · press · squash · chair · row · suit · wax · bound

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — certain
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spring — a coil
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wax — to grow
  12. squash — the sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — the season
  15. row — a line
  16. press — to push
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spring — of water
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — to paddle

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