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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — a series
  3. snap — to click
  4. present — a gift
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. kid — child
  11. present — the time now
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — to tease
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stock — goods
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. present — there
  24. stock — shares

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