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: cold · press · temple · saw · rest · pitcher · lie · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. press — to push
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cold — an illness
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. cold — not warm
  23. saw — the tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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