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: cold · patient · foot · bank · wave · squash · press · lash

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. press — newspapers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — an illness
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — for money

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