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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for golf
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. club — a group
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. press — to push
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. face — to confront
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. press — newspapers

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