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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — of a river
  11. scale — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — after costs
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — in biology
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — a match
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. rock — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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