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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — the time now
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. present — a gift
  9. court — for sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — there
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — finally
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — of a king
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. press — to push
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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