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: sharp · bound · spring · press · dip · object · roll · lash

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bound — obliged
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — a thing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — an aim
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — to protest

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