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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cell — a phone
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — a permit
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. clip — a video
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — to push
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — a division
  24. temple — a place of worship

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