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 · cap · bank · mug · sharp · can · rash · wave

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. press — a publisher
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — a tin

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