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: can · drill · root · bear · press · pound · bat · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — a practice
  7. root — of a word
  8. drill — army training
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — a tin
  16. chest — a box
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — to be able to

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