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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. press — a publisher
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in biology
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chair — a professorship

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