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 120 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: chair · press · cap · net · foot · plane · wind · bore

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — in sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. foot — a measure
  18. press — to push
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to drill
  24. plane — a tool

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