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 124 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — to push
  8. land — to come down
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. press — newspapers
  11. craft — boats
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — a country
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wound — an injury
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. wound — an injury
  21. band — a music group
  22. chest — of your body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — ground

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