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: lash · bank · ground · press · mine · degree · bark · rest

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — to push
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ground — a position
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rest — a break
  24. press — a publisher

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