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 116 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: tear · track · bat · press · bulb · can · pitcher · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a song
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. press — to push
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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