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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — to push
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fall — to drop
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — a gift
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bass — low music
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — the season
  19. present — the time now
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — there
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bass — the fish

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