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: jam · deal · press · club · mouse · branch · ground · bear

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — a publisher
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — to handle
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — a position
  19. press — newspapers
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — a big deal

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