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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. current — happening now
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. present — a gift
  10. lean — thin
  11. toast — bread
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — electric
  14. press — a publisher
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. sharp — clever
  22. current — of water
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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