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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. press — newspapers
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — to push
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. press — a publisher
  20. shower — rain
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kick — in football
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mouse — for a computer

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