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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. file — a document
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — newspapers
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — to rip
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. press — a publisher
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tear — from crying
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kick — with a leg

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