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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cold — not warm
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cold — an illness
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — electric
  19. snap — to click
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — the fruit
  24. current — happening now

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