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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — in football
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. craft — boats
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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