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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — rain
  7. content — the amount
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cue — a hint
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — a publisher
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — a signal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — happy
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bat — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. press — to push
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. band — a rubber band

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