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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — in sport
  6. board — to get on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. file — a tool
  10. press — to push
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bark — to shout
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — a committee
  17. land — a country
  18. file — a document
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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