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 120 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: press · present · charge · can · racket · tear · sharp · bark

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — to be able to
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — there
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — the time now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bark — to shout
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — a gift
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. racket — a loud noise

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