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: content · foot · ground · press · deal · hide · spring · stick

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. press — to push
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spring — of water
  6. ground — the earth
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. press — a publisher
  10. content — happy
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — a position
  15. spring — the season
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — the amount
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spring — a coil

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