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: foot · press · chest · pit · bore · kid · toast · pound

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bore — to drill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. toast — bread
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. press — to push
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — in a race
  24. press — a publisher

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