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 · rock · chip · pitcher · tube · wake · bowl · bank

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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