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: leaves · press · craft · pound · straw · wake · lie · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — to push
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. press — a publisher
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — boats
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. press — newspapers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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