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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · march · lash · charge · hide · arm · press · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. march — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — the month
  8. press — to push
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hand — help
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. hand — in cards
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hide — to keep secret

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