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: plane · capital · net · press · trunk · bear · land · pass

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — a city
  11. land — to come down
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. net — for catching
  19. plane — a tool
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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