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 120 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: clip · pop · press · ruler · cap · tube · object · straw

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pop — music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — a hat
  11. clip — a video
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — to visit
  15. object — to protest
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pop — soda
  18. object — a thing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. press — to push
  22. clip — to cut
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — a container

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