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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — to go on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — finally
  6. press — to push
  7. present — there
  8. face — to point toward
  9. craft — boats
  10. last — final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — thin
  15. mine — for digging
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mine — belonging to me

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