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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — to recline
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. root — of a word
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. root — the cause
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fork — in a road
  24. foot — part of the body

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