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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — a box
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. branch — a division
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — certain
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chest — of your body

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