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: wound · tube · rock · game · stand · snap · capital · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. press — a publisher
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — a stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. game — wild animals
  7. capital — money
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. capital — a city
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — a match
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rock — music
  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