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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — a publisher
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — newspapers
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. date — the fruit
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — in a road
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fork — to eat with

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