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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — to eat
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chip — for betting
  15. court — for sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — thin
  24. chip — in a computer

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