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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. clip — for paper
  3. press — to push
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — newspapers
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. court — of law
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. suit — clothes
  12. clip — a video
  13. court — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a face

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