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 120 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: club · content · cap · snap · chair · mouse · press · land

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. snap — to click
  3. press — newspapers
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. land — to come down
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chair — a leader
  13. content — happy
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — ground
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. land — a country
  21. content — the amount
  22. press — to push
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cap — a lid

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