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: cell · rock · bat · press · hand · key · wind · capital

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. press — to push
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hand — help
  9. capital — money
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bat — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wind — moving air
  22. capital — a city
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — for a lock

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