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: content · land · clip · row · drill · lash · firm · press

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. clip — for paper
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. land — a country
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — decided
  16. land — ground
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. clip — a video
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. press — to push
  21. firm — a company
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — the amount
  24. clip — to cut

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