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: jam · bore · shower · firm · pitch · hide · press · degree

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. shower — rain
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — steady
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — an amount
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. press — newspapers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitch — completely
  24. firm — a company

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