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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — a path
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. face — to confront
  5. bass — the fish
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — to come from
  12. clip — for paper
  13. press — newspapers
  14. clip — to cut
  15. press — to push
  16. clip — a video
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — low music
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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