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: bank · kick · wake · clip · ball · press · patient · jam

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — a trail
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ball — a great time
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kick — in football
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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