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 · lash · file · court · can · wake · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. press — newspapers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. court — of law
  12. file — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — the time now
  19. file — a document
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. present — there
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. present — a gift

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