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 · staff · press · content · mark · prune · rush · lean

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. press — a publisher
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — thin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — a stick
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — to push
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — newspapers
  24. content — videos and posts

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