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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. press — newspapers
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. roll — a list
  5. charge — a price
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to tire
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cold — an illness
  19. branch — a division
  20. cold — not warm
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — in control
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bore — to drill

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