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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mark — a grade
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. season — in sport
  17. cold — not warm
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — of the year
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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