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: stick · lie · bulb · bank · wave · press · leaves · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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