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: press · spring · deal · tear · drill · plane · bass · hide

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. press — newspapers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. drill — a practice
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — a coil
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. drill — the tool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tear — to rip
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — army training
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spring — of water
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bass — the fish

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