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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — to push
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — a video
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. clip — to cut
  14. spring — the season
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spring — of water
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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