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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. shower — to wash
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a ring
  15. present — there
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — magic
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. spell — letters

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