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: sharp · bound · cabinet · bore · present · press · stick · pass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bore — to drill
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bound — obliged
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — a permit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. present — a gift
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — newspapers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — there
  24. cabinet — ministers

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