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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. object — to protest
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — to come from
  8. last — finally
  9. kid — child
  10. last — to go on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. last — final
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. object — a thing
  16. present — there
  17. rock — music
  18. object — an aim
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. press — to push
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rock — to move gently

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