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: wave · mouse · press · spring · rock · stand · calf · net

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spring — of water
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rock — a stone
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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