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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. press — a publisher
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. can — to be able to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. hand — help
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. can — a tin

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