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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. toast — bread
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — size or range
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. press — a publisher

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