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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bound — certain
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chest — a box
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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