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: perch · race · craft · stand · press · fall · trunk · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — humankind
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cell — in biology
  7. craft — boats
  8. race — a contest
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — the season
  14. press — a publisher
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — the fish
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — a phone
  24. perch — for a bird

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