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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. craft — boats
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — a publisher
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. tube — a container
  20. pop — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — soda

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