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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. squash — the sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — the season
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stem — to come from
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — to bend

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