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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. court — for sport
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. press — to push
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — to sink
  11. snap — to click
  12. court — of law
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. march — the month
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. board — a committee
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  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