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: arm · ruler · mouse · press · chest · foot · fine · pop

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — music
  3. chest — a box
  4. fine — all right
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — soda
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — newspapers

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