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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. face — part of the head
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. press — to push
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — of water
  17. face — to confront
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — of a river
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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