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: roll · press · band · key · foot · fall · bound · court

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. foot — a measure
  4. band — a music group
  5. roll — a cake
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. court — of law
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a ring
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — tied together
  15. court — of a king
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fall — to drop
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. key — in music
  24. court — for sport

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