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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chip — to eat
  3. field — farmland
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. field — a subject
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. field — for sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — a cake
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — a list

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