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: bore · press · temple · wave · bass · present · branch · fall

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fall — the season
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. press — newspapers
  7. present — there
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. branch — a division
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — the time now
  20. bass — the fish
  21. press — to push
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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