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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · degree · lean · present · stick · press

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to bend
  5. present — a gift
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — size or range
  8. press — a publisher
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. scale — in music
  13. press — to push
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — the time now
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — newspapers

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