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 · fall · fan · field · lie · bound · clip · stand

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — to push
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — for sport
  14. clip — a video
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — obliged
  19. field — a subject
  20. press — newspapers
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bound — certain
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — farmland

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