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: cold · hide · press · lean · leaves · rule · ground · fan

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — to push
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — a position

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