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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. press — a publisher
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. branch — of a bank

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