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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — of a river
  11. game — wild animals
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — the season
  14. snap — to click
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a line
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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