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: mug · wake · rash · craft · shower · press · fine · face

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — to push
  6. mug — a cup
  7. shower — to wash
  8. press — a publisher
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — all right
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — a face
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — high quality

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