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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lean — to bend
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — to push
  7. firm — a company
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — newspapers
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lie — to recline
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kick — in football

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