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: can · file · press · present · club · coach · fan · spell

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — a gift
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — there
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for golf
  24. press — to push

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