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: stem · swing · fall · mouse · press · land · stick · spring

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — the season
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. press — to push
  10. stem — to come from
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — ground
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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