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: lean · bay · press · fall · rest · toast · cold · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — an illness
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fall — to drop
  8. toast — bread
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — to push
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cold — not warm
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — a break
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — a match
  24. cold — the Cold War

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