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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. press — a publisher
  8. board — a committee
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — the cause
  11. board — to get on
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — newspapers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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