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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — army training
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. board — a committee
  8. press — to push
  9. tear — to rip
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. press — newspapers
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. capital — a city

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