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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. club — for dancing
  8. present — the time now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. club — a group
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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