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 · branch · hand · spell · deal · wake · ground · staff

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spell — magic
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — a trail
  11. branch — a division
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. press — to push
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — crushed
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — a publisher
  24. deal — an agreement

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