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: mine · lean · fork · charge · deal · press · degree · root

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. root — of a word
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fork — in a road
  19. charge — a price
  20. lean — thin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. charge — in control
  24. root — the cause

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