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: foot · press · pop · hide · ground · bank · club · object

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — a group
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — an aim
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pop — soda
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — for golf
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. object — a thing
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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