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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — thin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. press — to push
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — electric
  13. press — newspapers
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. current — of water
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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