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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pound — a weight
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. capital — a city
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — of a word
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. date — the fruit
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — a big letter

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