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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. can — to be able to
  6. press — to push
  7. pound — a weight
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — a price
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — ground
  13. stem — to come from
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — a country
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to click
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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