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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bank — for money
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. press — a publisher
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — to eat
  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