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 · ground · dip · file · present · drill · court · can

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. present — a gift
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ground — crushed
  5. court — of law
  6. file — a tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. ground — the earth
  10. court — for sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. present — there
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. dip — to sink
  17. press — to push
  18. can — a tin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — a position
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. court — of a king

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