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: bank · jam · spell · press · wave · mate · straw · rash

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — to breed
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. press — newspapers
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. press — to push
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bank — of a river
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rash — a series
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wave — with your hand

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