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: patient · prune · scale · snap · racket · face · ground · press

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — part of the head
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — the earth
  12. press — a publisher
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — crushed
  19. scale — in music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. snap — to click
  24. scale — size or range

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