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: wind · branch · court · lash · mouse · press · bay · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. court — of a king
  10. wind — moving air
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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