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 · hand · bear · field · tube · mug · bound · mark

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — a subject
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — for sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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