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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. press — to push
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cue — a signal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kid — to tease
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pit — in a race
  14. deal — to handle
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — a position
  18. press — newspapers
  19. face — to confront
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — child

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