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: lash · bear · wake · snap · mark · fall · present · press

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. press — to push
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to click
  16. press — newspapers
  17. present — there
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. present — the time now
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. press — a publisher

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