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 120 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: tube · stand · mine · press · game · lash · clip · mug

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. press — a publisher
  3. clip — a video
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — to push
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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