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: ground · press · rule · chest · ball · toast · staff · hand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ground — a position
  6. chest — a box
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — of your body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hand — help
  14. press — to push
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ground — crushed
  19. toast — bread
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rule — a law
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chest — of your body

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