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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. current — electric
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — newspapers
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — a publisher
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cold — not warm
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. press — to push
  21. current — happening now
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. current — of water
  24. cold — an illness

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