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 120 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: wind · race · bank · saw · track · bowl · press · root

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. press — to push
  5. wind — moving air
  6. press — a publisher
  7. root — the cause
  8. press — newspapers
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — a path
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a song
  19. race — humankind
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bowl — a football final

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