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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. mark — a trace
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. press — to push
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. press — a publisher
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. march — the month
  23. press — newspapers
  24. patient — a sick person

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