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: press · dip · bore · straw · saw · temple · land · mine

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — for digging
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. land — to come down
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — ground
  12. press — a publisher
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — a country
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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