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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. press — a publisher
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. club — a group
  11. march — the month
  12. club — for golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — a break
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. march — the month
  18. band — a music group
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. march — music

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