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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mug — a cup
  4. last — finally
  5. press — to push
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — to go on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. toast — bread
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mug — a face
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — to rob
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — final
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cell — a phone

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