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: board · press · lie · wound · snap · date · racket · court

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. court — of law
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — to push
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. board — a committee
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of a king
  20. press — newspapers
  21. court — for sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. board — to get on

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