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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — to push
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — newspapers

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