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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — of a river
  3. shower — rain
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. press — to push
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. date — the fruit
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lean — thin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitcher — a jug

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