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 · game · lash · chip · bass · face · straw · degree

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — newspapers
  7. face — to confront
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. game — a match
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. degree — an amount
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to point toward
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. game — wild animals

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