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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a line of people
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — after costs
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. file — a document
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. net — in sport
  10. row — a line
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — for catching
  17. degree — an amount
  18. foot — a measure
  19. degree — temperature
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — a division
  23. file — a tool
  24. press — to push

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