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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — to push
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. branch — a division
  8. key — for a lock
  9. press — newspapers
  10. key — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. press — a publisher
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — the most important part
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fork — in a road
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — for sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — a safe
  24. game — a match

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