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 116 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. press — a publisher
  3. face — part of the head
  4. kid — child
  5. lean — thin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. face — to confront
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. press — to push
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. bore — to tire
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — to tease
  24. hand — in cards

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