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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. clip — to cut
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a trace
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — to push
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spell — letters
  19. press — a publisher
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mine — for digging

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