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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tear — to rip
  3. press — to push
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — rain
  6. press — a publisher
  7. swing — music
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. race — humankind
  15. tear — from crying
  16. board — to get on
  17. tear — from crying
  18. race — the arms race
  19. swing — to play on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rash — hasty
  23. degree — an amount
  24. race — a contest

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