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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. clip — to cut
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. clip — a video
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. firm — a company
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. clip — for paper

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