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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — for sport
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. press — to push
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — in golf
  16. present — the time now
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. field — farmland
  21. lean — thin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — to play on
  24. present — there

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