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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hand — help
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — the season
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — in cards
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — a coil
  23. row — a line
  24. spring — of water

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