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 120 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: lash · press · chest · cold · deal · wave · face · current

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. press — to push
  12. cold — an illness
  13. face — to point toward
  14. current — electric
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chest — a box
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chest — of your body

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