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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. can — to be able to
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — to rip
  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