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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. press — to push
  5. object — a thing
  6. band — a music group
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — in football
  9. spell — a short time
  10. object — an aim
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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