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: suit · cap · lean · bat · firm · kid · press · rock

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. firm — steady
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rock — music
  5. firm — a company
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — child
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  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