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: pass · stick · deal · lean · press · kid · branch · current

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — a permit
  10. press — to push
  11. current — happening now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. branch — of a bank

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