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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. scale — size or range
  8. capital — a city
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — in sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. capital — money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — a break
  23. press — to push
  24. rest — what's left

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