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: root · press · firm · wound · bear · capital · pass · clip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — decided
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — a publisher
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. root — of a word
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — steady
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. firm — a company
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pass — to succeed

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