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: clip · bay · swing · tube · ground · stem · press · fall

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fall — the season
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — to come from
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — the underground
  19. clip — for paper
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — a position
  22. clip — a video
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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