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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — a series
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. rash — hasty
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — a break
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — a publisher
  16. game — a match
  17. degree — temperature
  18. drill — a practice
  19. press — to push
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. game — wild animals
  23. press — newspapers
  24. dip — a sauce

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