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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — a line
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — of a word
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — for catching
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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