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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. content — the amount
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. current — electric
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. press — to push
  10. row — a line
  11. content — happy
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. row — to paddle
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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