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: press · chair · can · hide · straw · chip · ruler · rock

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. press — to push
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a leader
  18. press — a publisher
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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