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: branch · rush · press · clip · scale · present · fan · can

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — there
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — a video
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — to push
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. present — a gift
  17. clip — for paper
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — for weighing

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