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: wind · capital · press · calf · pass · drill · face · toast

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. toast — bread
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. face — part of the head
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. press — a publisher
  10. capital — a city
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — a permit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. press — to push
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wind — to turn a key

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