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 · hide · board · arm · field · present · land · wax

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. present — a gift
  3. land — to come down
  4. present — there
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — a publisher
  10. present — the time now
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. land — ground
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. arm — part of the body

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