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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — to push
  6. court — of law
  7. season — of the year
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ball — a dance
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stand — to bear
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. season — in sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. court — for sport

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