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

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. shower — to wash
  10. lean — thin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. press — to push
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. shower — rain
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. press — newspapers
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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