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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — temperature
  8. field — for sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mug — a face
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. degree — from a university
  16. field — a subject
  17. press — a publisher
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — the time now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — a gift
  22. field — farmland
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — to rob

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