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: spell · nail · staff · ruler · press · present · chair · root

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chair — a leader
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — a publisher
  7. root — the cause
  8. press — to push
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — of a word
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. present — there
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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