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: lean · press · wax · bank · stick · row · bulb · face

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — a publisher
  6. face — to point toward
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — to bend
  18. press — to push
  19. row — a line
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — to rest against

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