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: board · fall · bound · file · plane · bowl · row · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — to get on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bound — tied together
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. row — to paddle
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. file — a document
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. row — a line
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a committee
  22. file — a line of people
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bound — certain

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