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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. file — a document
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — soda
  6. clip — for paper
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. file — a line of people
  14. clip — to cut
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. clip — a video
  18. file — a tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — clothes
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pop — music

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