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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — for betting
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. face — to confront
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — happy
  16. branch — a division
  17. rash — a series
  18. face — part of the head
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. content — the amount
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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