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: present · kid · cap · hide · press · game · pop · rock

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — to tease
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — a gift
  15. kid — child
  16. pop — to visit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — to push
  21. cap — of ice
  22. present — there
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rock — a stone

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