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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — to push
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bank — for money
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — army training
  21. bat — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — before a funeral

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