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: wave · net · press · lie · current · cue · rest · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lie — to recline
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. net — for catching
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — electric
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — after costs

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