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 120 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: file · rush · leaves · stock · shower · craft · press · face

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. press — newspapers
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. face — to confront
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — goods
  14. press — a publisher
  15. shower — to wash
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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