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: can · cap · press · wave · mate · face

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. press — to push
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — to confront
  18. mate — a partner

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