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 120 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: kick · safe · chip · press · bass · chest · patient · wake

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — a box
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — in football
  21. press — newspapers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — of your body

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