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: cabinet · rest · cold · file · press · pass · wound · can

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. 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. pass — to succeed
  2. file — a document
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — a permit
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rest — a break
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. 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