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: kick · land · bass · press · key · stick · trunk · rush

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — a country
  6. press — to push
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — a publisher
  14. land — ground
  15. bass — low music
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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