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: lie · squash · field · content · kick · press · current · fine

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. field — farmland
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. current — happening now
  5. squash — to crush
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — a subject
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kick — in football
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. content — happy
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — all right
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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