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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. press — to push
  10. bound — tied together
  11. key — in music
  12. bound — certain
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — shares
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — goods
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rock — to move gently

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