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: plane · patient · craft · march · fan · track · press · fork

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — a path
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — in a road
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — a tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. track — a song

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