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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. press — a publisher
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — to cut
  8. club — for golf
  9. clip — for paper
  10. file — a document
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — a video
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. safe — out of danger

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