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: bound · stem · bass · wave · saw · prune · club · press

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — low music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — tied together
  16. club — for golf
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. press — to push
  22. club — a group
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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