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: staff · spring · roll · deal · press · race · kick · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spring — the season
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spring — a coil
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kick — in football
  16. roll — a list
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — to push
  24. roll — on a roll

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