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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — thin
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stand — to bear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mine — for digging
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. drill — army training
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. press — to push

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