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: hand · bark · land · bat · club · season · press · fork

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — a group
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. land — a country
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. hand — help
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — in cards
  15. land — ground
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — for golf
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bat — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. club — for dancing
  24. season — of the year

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