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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. key — the most important part
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — in music
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — a publisher
  12. tube — the underground
  13. press — newspapers
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — to push
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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