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: craft · bass · pass · press · roll · wake · dip · cell

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cell — a phone
  3. press — to push
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. craft — a skill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — low music
  17. roll — a list
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cell — in a prison

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