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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — a publisher
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — a video
  11. rash — a series
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. clip — to cut
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mug — to rob

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