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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · pound · row · wave · swing · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. press — to push
  8. swing — music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. row — a line
  12. pound — a weight
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — in a road

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