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 120 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 · hide · spring · club · file · wake · press · nail

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a document
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spring — of water
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. file — a line of people
  13. club — for dancing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — to cut
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — to push
  23. clip — for paper
  24. club — for golf

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