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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rest — a break
  4. clip — to cut
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hand — help
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — for paper
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. clip — a video

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