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: row · leaves · wound · press · saw · file · patient · club

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. press — to push
  6. row — a line
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. club — for golf
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — to paddle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a document
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. club — a group
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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