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: sharp · hide · pitcher · wake · leaves · press · band · present

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — the time now
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — a gift
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a music group
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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