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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spring — the season
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rule — a law
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lean — thin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spring — of water
  13. swing — in golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. press — to push
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rule — government
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hand — help
  24. press — a publisher

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