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

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bound — obliged
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. press — to push
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bound — tied together
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wave — of the sea

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