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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. object — an aim
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. object — a thing
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. clip — for paper
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — a video
  24. kid — to tease

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