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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — the amount
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. press — to push
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. board — to get on
  10. spring — of water
  11. content — happy
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — a publisher
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. board — a committee
  19. craft — a skill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — boats
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. present — a gift
  24. craft — a handicraft

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