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: deal · present · press · lash · march · kid · net · arm

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. press — to push
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — child
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. net — for catching
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kid — to tease
  21. march — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. net — in sport

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