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: key · saw · press · spring · bore · rock · straw · pound

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spring — the season
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rock — music
  6. press — to push
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. key — for a lock
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. straw — a straw man

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