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: straw · suit · kick · face · stock · press

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — part of the head
  4. press — to push
  5. kick — in football
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. press — newspapers
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stock — goods
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — in cards

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