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: press · pitch · clip · lie · saw · drill · bat · lean

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pitch — completely
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — thin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — to bend
  22. press — to push
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. drill — the tool

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