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 · jam · bore · kick · content · lie · file · wind

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. press — a publisher
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. content — happy
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. file — a line of people
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lie — an untruth

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