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: roll · ruler · craft · snap · rash · press · hide · stand

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. snap — to click
  4. roll — a cake
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — boats
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — newspapers
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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