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: mug · chest · bank · press · land · date · shower · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — rain
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. land — ground
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — a face
  21. bark — to shout
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — to rob

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