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: safe · ground · bark · bat · press · pass · present · root

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — to shout
  11. press — to push
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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