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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — thin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. branch — a division
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tear — to rip
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lean — to bend
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — a thrill

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