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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spell — a short time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. face — to confront
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cell — in biology
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — to push
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. current — electric

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