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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rash — a series
  23. press — to push
  24. root — of a plant

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