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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — a company
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mug — a face
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. press — a publisher
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — in golf
  12. press — newspapers
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mug — a cup
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hand — part of the body

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