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: current · mate · press · pass · march · bat · shower · face

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — electric
  7. press — to push
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — rain
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — to breed
  15. current — of water
  16. face — to point toward
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — happening now
  20. face — to confront
  21. march — the month
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a friend
  24. shower — to wash

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