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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — to bend
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chair — a leader
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — to push
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — thin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hide — to keep secret

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