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: press · lash · board · hand · shower · staff · date · kick

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — help
  8. press — newspapers
  9. date — the fruit
  10. kick — in football
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hand — in cards
  17. shower — rain
  18. board — to get on
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — a stick

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