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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. firm — decided
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bound — tied together
  6. firm — steady
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bound — certain
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — in biology
  24. press — to push

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