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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. press — a publisher
  5. last — to go on
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. press — to push
  21. last — final
  22. press — newspapers
  23. last — finally
  24. drill — a practice

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