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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stand — to bear
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. charge — in control
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — in a race
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to click
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. press — to push
  24. spring — of water

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