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: drill · lie · date · wake · hide · dip · press · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — to push
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — the fruit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. press — newspapers

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