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: date · hand · content · snap · foot · press · arm · cap

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. press — to push
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. date — the fruit
  10. content — the amount
  11. foot — a measure
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. content — happy
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. snap — to click
  18. cap — a lid
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hand — in cards
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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