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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pop — music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bank — for money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. press — to push
  11. suit — clothes
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — in biology
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pop — soda
  24. press — newspapers

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