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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — to shout
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. key — the most important part

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