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 116 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: pop · rock · bark · fall · fork · bowl · leaves · press

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — to push
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pop — music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. press — newspapers
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fall — to drop

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