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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. key — for a lock
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. key — in music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — government
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rule — a law
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  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