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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bank — of a river
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — a container
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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