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: cabinet · wax · plane · saw · spell · present · stock · press

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wax — to grow
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — a tool
  10. present — there
  11. spell — magic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spell — letters
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — a short time

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