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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. face — part of the head
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. press — to push
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. face — to confront
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. fall — to drop

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