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: bound · mouse · stick · safe · press · cold · row · lean

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bound — certain
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. press — to push
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lean — thin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bound — obliged

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