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: press · capital · stick · stand · staff · bound · coach · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — a city
  5. press — a publisher
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — humankind
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — to push
  12. capital — money
  13. bound — certain
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bound — obliged
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — tied together
  24. race — a contest

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