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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — thin
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. charge — a price
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — to handle

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