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: toast · craft · press · lash · straw · branch · scale · bat

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bat — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. press — a publisher
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. scale — size or range
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. scale — in music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. branch — a division
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. press — to push
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. craft — boats

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