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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — to eat
  3. press — to push
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. degree — from a university
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. press — newspapers
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bank — of a river
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — temperature
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — for betting

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