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: bay · press · rule · pop · season · straw · calf · content

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pop — to visit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. content — the amount
  12. pop — music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rule — government
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. season — in sport
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. press — newspapers
  24. content — happy

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