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 · date · hide · land · pitcher · vault · toast · calf

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. date — the fruit
  24. calf — of the leg

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