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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a dance
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. press — to push
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — not warm
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wax — in the ear

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