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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — a list
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. roll — a cake
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to confront
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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