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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. press — a publisher
  7. degree — from a university
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — to push
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mate — to breed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — the season
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. degree — temperature

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