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: press · shower · root · file · fan · prune · ground · saw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. root — of a word
  8. press — newspapers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — a publisher
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. file — a tool

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