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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. press — to push
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cell — a phone
  14. capital — money
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — a publisher
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — a city

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