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: object · court · bank · scale · press · cap · wind · row

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — of law
  8. wind — moving air
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — an aim
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cap — a hat

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