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: clip · mug · cell · pit · press · can · bear · file

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — a publisher
  4. file — a tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. press — to push
  11. cell — a phone
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — a cup
  15. clip — for paper
  16. file — a document
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. press — newspapers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — a face

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