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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. firm — steady
  4. press — to push
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bore — to tire
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — in biology
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. field — a subject
  17. content — happy
  18. firm — a company
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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