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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bank — of a river
  3. club — a group
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — for sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. club — for golf
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. press — to push
  20. field — farmland
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. press — newspapers

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