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 button?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. staff — employees
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — for catching
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

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