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: shower · present · swing · rest · press · pit · wake · pitcher

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pit — a hole
  6. present — there
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — a break
  10. shower — to wash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — a publisher
  15. shower — rain
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. present — the time now
  19. swing — music
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. present — a gift

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