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: tube · kid · spring · arm · press · face · charge · ruler

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spring — of water
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — to tease

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