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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — in cards
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. clip — a video
  11. press — to push
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — help
  14. press — a publisher
  15. band — a ring
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. firm — decided
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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