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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. press — to push
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — newspapers
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — to shout
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. net — after costs

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