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: spell · bark · land · game · lean · press · band · net

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — for catching
  4. game — wild animals
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. spell — a short time
  9. land — to come down
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bark — to shout
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. game — a match

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