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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — a publisher
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — for catching
  19. stem — to come from
  20. net — after costs
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. craft — boats
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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