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: mouse · mug · wake · spring · stick · craft · wind · press

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — the season
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — a face
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — of water
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — to push
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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