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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — a subject
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. press — newspapers
  7. field — for sport
  8. press — to push
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. shower — rain
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — a division
  16. last — to go on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — farmland
  21. last — finally
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — final

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