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 · staff · press · safe · band · hand · firm · saw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. press — a publisher
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. staff — a stick
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a music group
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — decided
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. firm — a company
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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