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 116 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: bay · track · land · shower · chair · saw · can · press

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — to push
  4. land — ground
  5. press — a publisher
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. shower — rain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — a country
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chair — a leader
  24. press — newspapers

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