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 116 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: press · wake · fall · bay · rock · cell · plane · land

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. land — a country
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fall — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rock — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. land — ground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. land — to come down

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