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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — in music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — electric
  11. press — to push
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — of water
  17. tear — to rip
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — happening now
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chair — to sit on

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