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: wake · file · kid · board · prune · calf · press · chest

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. press — newspapers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chest — of your body
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chest — a box
  12. press — a publisher
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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