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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — for sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. press — to push
  15. cue — for pool
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of law
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hide — animal skin

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