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: bound · board · wave · bank · cabinet · spring · date · press

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spring — a coil
  7. board — a committee
  8. press — to push
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. board — to get on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — obliged
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — of water
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — tied together
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spring — the season
  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