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 · prune · press · wind · shower · wake · lash · can

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. shower — to wash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — a trail
  9. can — to be able to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — rain
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — to push
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — the time now
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lash — an eyelash

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