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: staff · press · rest · key · branch · clip · pitch · mark

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — a grade
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. staff — a stick
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — in music
  12. clip — a video
  13. press — to push
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a trace
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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