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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — to come down
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — to bend
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — a face
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — for sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — to push
  14. firm — a company
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lean — thin
  17. land — a country
  18. firm — steady
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. land — ground

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