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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — to protest
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. staff — employees
  10. content — happy
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — the amount
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — to recline
  16. object — a thing
  17. press — newspapers
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — to push
  24. pound — to hit hard

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