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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — in cards
  9. press — a publisher
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. press — to push
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hand — help
  24. key — for a lock

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