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: pass · press · nail · fall · land · bat · hide · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — ground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rash — a series
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. land — a country
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. fall — the season

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