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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — a video
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. court — of a king
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. court — of law
  19. lean — thin
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hide — to keep secret

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