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: key · press · shower · staff · coach · ground · dip · straw

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. press — newspapers
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ground — crushed
  8. key — in music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. dip — to sink
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — to push
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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