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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — to push
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cell — a phone
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — to be able to
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. clip — to cut
  18. press — newspapers
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — a song
  21. clip — a video
  22. march — the month
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — a sick person

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