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: rush · chair · squash · press · key · lash · pound · firm

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chair — a leader
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. press — to push
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — for a lock
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. key — in music
  24. rush — hurry

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