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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fall — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — part of the head
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — a phone
  23. face — to confront
  24. snap — to click

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