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

Word bank: rash · craft · saw · face · fall · press · wake · sharp

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — to confront
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. craft — a skill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. craft — boats
  15. rash — a series
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. sharp — with an edge

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