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 120 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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. press — newspapers
  6. file — a tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rash — hasty
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — of water
  15. tear — from crying
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spring — the season
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. coach — a trainer

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