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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — rain
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — to push
  7. key — for a lock
  8. face — to confront
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. key — the most important part
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — certain
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — for digging
  24. press — newspapers

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