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

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — for golf
  4. clip — a video
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. club — for dancing
  7. drill — a practice
  8. club — a group
  9. pitch — completely
  10. press — to push
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — a publisher
  13. clip — to cut
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — to recline
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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