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: present · staff · field · swing · fan · press · file · mate

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. file — a line of people
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — there
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — a subject
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a document
  18. field — for sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — a gift
  23. file — a tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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