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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. face — to point toward
  8. press — a publisher
  9. face — to confront
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — to push
  12. march — music
  13. spell — letters
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spring — of water
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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