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

Word bank: net · trunk · pound · press · fall · straw

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — after costs
  11. fall — the season
  12. pound — a weight
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. trunk — of a tree

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