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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — a division
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — to come down
  19. press — to push
  20. staff — employees
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — to fit

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