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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — in music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. march — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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