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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — for paper
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — to push
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — rain
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. clip — a video
  24. press — a publisher

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