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: fan · tear · mug · prune · calf · face · rest · press

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — to rob
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mug — a face
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to confront
  24. prune — to trim

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