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: toast · cell · drill · chest · ground · press · clip · scale

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. press — newspapers
  3. drill — army training
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cell — in biology
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ground — a position
  8. clip — a video
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chest — of your body
  12. press — to push
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — in music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. toast — bread
  19. cell — a phone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ground — crushed

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