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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. press — to push
  3. last — to go on
  4. ground — a position
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rule — a law
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — a division
  18. rule — government
  19. rock — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rule — to rule out

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