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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · toast · press · clip · chair · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chair — a leader
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — in cards
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. press — to push
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chair — a professorship

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