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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. press — a publisher
  5. hand — help
  6. pit — a hole
  7. file — a document
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. charge — a price
  17. press — newspapers
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. plane — an aircraft

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