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: lean · press · chip · mate · hide · game · staff · wake

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. staff — employees
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — to push
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a match
  24. lean — to bend

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