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 120 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 · land · wax · chip · mouse · pitch · bound · patient

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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