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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — in music
  8. press — to push
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mate — to breed
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. swing — in golf

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