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: date · present · calf · press · toast · arm · pitcher · staff

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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