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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a leader
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — to push
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. key — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — the instrument

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