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: straw · bulb · press · track · mug · rush · rest · club

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — to rob
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — a face
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — a song
  19. club — a group
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — to push
  22. track — a path
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — for dancing

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