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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — to push
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. press — a publisher

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