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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — in sport
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — a handicraft

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