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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. swing — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spell — letters
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. swing — to play on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. toast — bread

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