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: press · rash · can · straw · nail · toast · track · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — a series
  4. ground — the earth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. can — a tin
  9. press — to push
  10. track — a song
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — a position
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. press — a publisher
  17. track — a path
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — to be able to

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