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: row · branch · press · net · pit · bay · rash · bound

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bound — obliged
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. row — a line
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. press — newspapers
  16. net — for catching
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — tied together
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — to paddle
  24. branch — of a tree

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