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: press · rash · snap · mine · deal · dip · bound · coach

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. press — a publisher
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bound — obliged
  19. dip — to sink
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. dip — a sauce

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