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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. toast — bread
  3. kick — in football
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — newspapers
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. shower — rain
  13. row — a line
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chest — a box
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. sharp — clever
  19. row — to paddle
  20. shower — to wash
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. press — to push
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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