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: lie · press · scale · toast · last · spring · clip · rash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. clip — a video
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spring — of water
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. last — final
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — to recline
  24. scale — in music

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