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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. press — a publisher
  3. game — a match
  4. press — to push
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — newspapers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to click
  24. pound — to hit hard

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