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 do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. swing — in golf
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. date — the fruit
  16. clip — a video
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. snap — to click
  24. clip — to cut

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