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: stem · kid · chest · cabinet · wave · press · lean · fan

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chest — a box
  18. press — to push
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — child
  24. stem — to come from

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