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: fall · wake · tear · bank · press · leaves · nail · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — before a funeral

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