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: ruler · board · arm · press · lie · cabinet · chair · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lie — to recline
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — a publisher
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chair — a leader
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. board — a committee
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — to push
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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