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: tear · deal · firm · jam · ruler · land · chest · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. press — to push
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. firm — steady
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — decided
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. press — a publisher
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — ground

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