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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cold — not warm
  3. tear — to rip
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cold — an illness
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. press — to push
  17. snap — to click
  18. toast — bread
  19. press — a publisher
  20. foot — a measure
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. foot — part of the body

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