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: stick · toast · roll · mate · press · shower · racket · staff

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — a cake
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. press — to push
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. staff — a stick
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — employees
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. roll — a list

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