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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cold — an illness
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. press — to push
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bear — the animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — a committee
  22. chest — of your body
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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