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 116 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: club · present · tube · key · hide · bat · mine · press

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. present — there
  11. press — newspapers
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. tube — a container
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. press — to push
  24. mine — an explosive

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