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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cold — an illness
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. hide — to keep secret

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