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: row · stock · face · press · wake · present · bound · spell

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spell — magic
  6. present — a gift
  7. press — to push
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — a publisher
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — a short time
  16. present — there
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — shares
  22. face — to point toward
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — certain

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