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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. row — a line
  4. press — a publisher
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — a tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — the season
  15. row — to paddle
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — a stone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rock — music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. plane — in geometry

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