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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wind — moving air
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. field — farmland
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. press — to push

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