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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mine — for digging
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. press — to push
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. press — newspapers
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. firm — steady
  24. bound — certain

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