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: present · current · date · coach · bank · roll · press · straw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. current — of water
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — the time now
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a cake
  8. present — there
  9. current — happening now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. current — electric
  13. press — to push
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bank — for money
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — a publisher
  24. date — the fruit

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