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: press · rock · bear · ground · straw · pound · bass · lie

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ground — the earth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pound — a weight

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