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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — for golf
  3. face — part of the head
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. club — for dancing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wind — moving air
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — to confront
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. press — to push
  24. club — a group

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