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: degree · mug · craft · game · press · pound · rest · wound

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. degree — temperature
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — newspapers
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mug — a face
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — to push
  23. rest — a break
  24. craft — boats

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