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: pitcher · fork · bank · swing · present · press · band · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — the time now
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a music group
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — newspapers
  12. swing — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — to push
  16. band — a ring
  17. present — there
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rash — on the skin

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