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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wind — moving air
  4. game — a match
  5. press — newspapers
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. press — to push
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — to sink
  16. charge — a price
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — in control
  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