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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — to push
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. clip — a video
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — for paper
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — a group
  23. rest — a break
  24. chest — of your body

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