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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. land — to come down
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. land — ground
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — to get on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. roll — a list
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. roll — a cake

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