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: shower · cabinet · roll · nail · squash · dip · press · march

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. shower — to wash
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — rain
  9. roll — a cake
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — a list
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. press — a publisher
  21. march — the month
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. nail — for a hammer

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