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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — thin
  24. snap — to click

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