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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. race — a contest
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — humankind
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — to protest
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a committee

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