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: pop · press · ground · pitch · board · rule · arm · pound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — a position
  4. press — to push
  5. pop — soda
  6. rule — a law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pop — to visit
  11. board — a committee
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pound — to hit hard

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