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: pound · press · bank · scale · bear · bowl · staff · straw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. staff — a stick
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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