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

Word bank: press · cabinet · last · mark · row · firm · rest · hide

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — finally
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. last — final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — to push
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — a company
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — decided
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — steady
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. row — a quarrel

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