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: cell · fall · wind · calf · race · press · lie · wax

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cell — in biology
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. race — the arms race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fall — the season
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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