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: chair · straw · squash · press · root · bound · saw · swing

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. root — the cause
  4. press — a publisher
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. swing — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. press — to push
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bound — certain
  24. swing — to play on

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