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

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chair — a leader
  4. club — for golf
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chest — a box
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tear — to rip
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chair — to sit on

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