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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. press — to push
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. swing — music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. vault — a safe
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — to bend
  12. press — a publisher
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lean — thin
  15. capital — money
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. swing — in golf
  19. capital — a city
  20. clip — a video
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chest — of your body
  24. game — wild animals

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