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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pop — music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cold — an illness
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — in football
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pop — soda
  23. cold — not warm
  24. firm — steady

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