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: cap · press · degree · cold · branch · club

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — a group
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cold — an illness
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — a division
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cap — a hat
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cap — of ice
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. press — to push
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cold — not warm

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