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: dip · spring · press · race · roll · chest · saw · calf

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. roll — a list
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chest — a box
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spring — a coil
  24. race — humankind

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