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: pit · hide · band · stand · mark · wound · press · chair

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a music group
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a professorship

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