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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — a hat
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wax — to grow
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. foot — the bottom

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