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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — in golf
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — to push
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — 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