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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cold — an illness
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — help
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cold — not warm
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bark — to shout
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bore — to drill
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hand — in cards
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bore — to tire

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