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: tear · stand · dip · track · march · press · squash · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. dip — to sink
  4. march — the month
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. press — newspapers
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. track — a path
  15. object — to protest
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. track — a song
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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