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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chest — a box
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bass — the fish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. press — to push
  20. band — a ring
  21. bass — low music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. band — a music group

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