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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a path
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tear — to rip
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — thin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — hurry
  18. track — to keep track
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — newspapers
  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