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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mark — a trace
  9. land — ground
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — help
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — to come down
  21. sharp — clever
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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