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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — to push
  6. lean — thin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pit — a hole
  9. net — for catching
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — after costs
  21. season — in sport
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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