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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chest — a box
  3. press — to push
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. present — there
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kick — in football
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. present — the time now
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. present — a gift
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. last — finally

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