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: last · wave · tear · press · shower · key · perch · stem

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. shower — rain
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. shower — to wash
  9. key — in music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. last — to go on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — a publisher
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. last — final
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. press — to push

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