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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — a company
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — in football
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. snap — to click
  9. firm — decided
  10. hand — help
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. press — newspapers
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. file — a document
  24. press — to push

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