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: chest · tube · temple · date · fall · present · pitcher · press

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. date — the fruit
  7. present — the time now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — of your body
  10. present — there
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — the season
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — a container
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fall — to drop

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