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: stand · fan · clip · pound · ground · press · lie · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rest — what's left
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — to push
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — a video
  21. ground — a position
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pound — a weight

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