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: press · bass · lean · dip · lie · calf · kid · date

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kid — child
  7. bass — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. press — to push
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — thin

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