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: fall · mouse · dip · lie · spring · charge · press · race

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. press — to push
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fall — the season
  6. race — a contest
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spring — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lie — to recline
  16. race — the arms race
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. race — humankind
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. fall — to drop

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