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: present · wound · nail · mate · kid · ruler · mine · press

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — to push
  9. kid — child
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mine — for digging
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kid — to tease
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — a publisher
  23. present — the time now
  24. mate — a friend

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