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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. clip — for paper
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kid — to tease
  15. clip — a video
  16. kid — child
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — in sport
  21. press — to push
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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