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: spell · straw · foot · patient · kick · fan · press · game

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kick — in football
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spell — magic
  16. foot — a measure
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — to push
  19. game — a match
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — wild animals
  24. foot — the bottom

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