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: press · plane · chair · club · fine · content · pop · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. press — a publisher
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. content — the amount
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — to push
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fine — high quality
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — soda
  15. chair — a leader
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — videos and posts

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