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: fine · fan · shower · board · kid · patient · ground · press

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — the earth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — rain
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — a position
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kid — child
  23. press — a publisher
  24. board — a committee

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