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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · firm · object · wave · press · tear

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. firm — a company
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — decided
  5. object — to protest
  6. press — to push
  7. object — an aim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — steady
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. press — a publisher
  13. object — a thing
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. tear — to rip
  18. press — newspapers

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