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: craft · press · cabinet · fan · chest · sharp · staff · object

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — a box
  9. staff — a stick
  10. sharp — clever
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. object — a thing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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