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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rest — a break
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. branch — a division
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — boats
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rest — what's left

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