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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — thin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — to eat
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — for digging
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. snap — to click

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