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 · ball · staff · present · face · trunk · mark · wind

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — to push
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — a grade
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. present — there

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