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: bat · press · current · bay · mark · game · tear · dip

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. current — electric
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. press — newspapers
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — of water
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a match
  17. press — to push
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — a publisher

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