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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. board — to get on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. spell — letters
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — a contest
  12. bank — of a river
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — to push
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. race — the arms race
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — newspapers
  23. race — humankind
  24. spell — a short time

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