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: press · can · race · dip · band · wound · stem · present

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — to come from
  3. present — there
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. race — the arms race
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a ring
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. race — a contest
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a music group
  23. press — to push
  24. can — a tin

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