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: scale · board · pitcher · pass · wave · stick · straw · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — a permit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. scale — in music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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