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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — in football
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — a publisher
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — to push
  24. swing — to play on

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