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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mate — to breed
  5. face — part of the head
  6. object — an aim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kid — to tease
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — child
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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