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 · kick · hide · prune · spell · chest · mark · chip

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — letters
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chest — a box
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spell — a short time

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