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 120 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: lean · press · swing · fork · club · dip · current · tube

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. club — for dancing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to bend
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. swing — to play on
  11. current — electric
  12. club — for golf
  13. lean — thin
  14. club — a group
  15. press — to push
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — in golf
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — to eat with

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