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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · pound · roll · kick · press · lean · net · rush

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — in football
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — thin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. press — a publisher
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — in sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kick — a thrill

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