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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — to go on
  3. bank — for money
  4. press — to push
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — a song
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — of a river
  9. toast — bread
  10. last — final
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. press — newspapers
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — to keep track
  16. root — the cause
  17. row — to paddle
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. track — a path
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. root — of a plant
  24. press — a publisher

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