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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — money
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. press — to push
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. capital — a city
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cold — an illness
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — a publisher
  24. capital — a big letter

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