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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. net — for catching
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. net — after costs
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — to handle
  20. press — to push
  21. wind — moving air
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — for betting

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