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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — a publisher
  6. sharp — clever
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spring — of water
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. file — a document
  21. spring — the season
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. file — a tool
  24. bank — of a river

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