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: bank · march · stock · wave · bulb · craft · press · spring

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — a skill
  4. march — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. craft — boats
  18. spring — a coil
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. press — to push
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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