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: last · face · stand · wound · net · press · stem · present

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. last — to go on
  10. net — for catching
  11. present — a gift
  12. press — to push
  13. wound — an injury
  14. last — finally
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — final
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — to bear
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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