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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. shower — to wash
  9. press — a publisher
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. shower — rain
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. press — to push
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mate — a partner
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — help
  24. leaves — of a tree

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