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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. press — to push
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. press — a publisher
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. face — to confront
  22. file — a document
  23. march — music
  24. can — to be able to

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