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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wind — moving air
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — to push
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — low music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — what's left

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