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: calf · press · leaves · straw · staff · land · shower · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — to push
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. shower — to wash
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. staff — a stick
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — a publisher
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — rain
  21. land — to come down
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — newspapers

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