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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chip — to eat

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