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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. key — for a lock
  3. press — to push
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spell — a short time
  7. press — a publisher
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chest — a box
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — magic
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — letters

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