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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rest — a break
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. clip — to cut
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — to push
  17. clip — a video
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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