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 116 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: bound · hand · nail · wound · root · file · press · wax

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. file — a document
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — tied together
  6. file — a tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. press — to push
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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