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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. press — newspapers
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — there
  17. chest — a box
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — a series
  23. present — the time now
  24. net — after costs

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