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: bass · fall · bank · plane · press · degree · date · stick

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fall — the season
  14. degree — from a university
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — for money
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. degree — temperature
  21. press — newspapers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. degree — an amount
  24. date — the fruit

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