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: press · trunk · clip · bowl · can · fan · racket · object

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. press — newspapers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — a thing
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. object — to protest
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  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