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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chest — of your body
  4. march — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. march — the month
  11. chest — a box
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — newspapers
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — a skill
  24. prune — to trim

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