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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. last — finally
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. press — to push
  11. bound — obliged
  12. last — to go on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kick — in football
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — in music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — final
  23. chair — a leader
  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