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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — a hat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a document
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cap — a lid
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a tool
  24. degree — from a university

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