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: last · nail · lean · game · press · object · current · hand

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. game — a match
  3. press — to push
  4. hand — in cards
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — electric
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hand — help
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — finally
  16. current — of water
  17. object — to protest
  18. press — newspapers
  19. object — a thing
  20. lean — to bend
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. object — an aim
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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