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: rock · press · spring · march · straw · season · wax · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rock — a stone
  3. press — to push
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — music
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — the season
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. press — a publisher
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — of water

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