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: bear · pop · straw · bowl · court · cue · fan · press

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cue — a signal
  4. court — of a king
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — for sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — to push

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