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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — to push
  12. scale — in music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wake — a trail
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — to recline

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