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

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. content — the amount
  3. hand — in cards
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — a trail
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — a lid
  14. firm — decided
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cap — a hat
  20. game — a match
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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