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: rule · chest · press · roll · mouse · file · prune · ruler

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chest — a box
  10. file — a document
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rule — government
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. press — newspapers
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. roll — a list
  24. mouse — for a computer

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