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: fan · foot · wound · press · mouse · band · drill · bowl

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. band — a music group
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — to push
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. band — a ring

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