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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — not warm
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. dip — to sink
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — a path
  23. press — to push
  24. track — a song

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