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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — soda
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. season — in sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. craft — a skill
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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