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: stick · object · cue · net · press · shower · bound · hide

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — to push
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. press — a publisher
  10. object — an aim
  11. shower — rain
  12. net — for catching
  13. bound — tied together
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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