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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bass — low music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — clever
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — wild animals
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — for catching
  13. game — a match
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — in sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. march — the month
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. march — music

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