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: straw · spring · pop · cap · press · shower · drill · board

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. shower — rain
  4. pop — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spring — a coil
  11. board — a committee
  12. spring — the season
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — soda
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — a publisher
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — of water
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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