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: cabinet · stand · swing · stick · bass · press · spring · chair

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spring — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spring — the season
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. press — to push

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