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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — to push
  9. hand — help
  10. chest — a box
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — a publisher
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. court — of a king
  24. wave — with your hand

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