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: content · wound · pit · bay · hide · wave · shower · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. content — happy
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — rain

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