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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — after costs
  6. press — a publisher
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — in sport
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to drill
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. file — a document
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — to visit

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