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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wind — moving air
  3. land — a country
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — final
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. last — finally
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — in cards
  16. last — to go on
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — the fish
  19. land — ground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — a publisher
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — to come down

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