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: suit · straw · press · last · nail · object · track · clip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. suit — in cards
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. object — a thing
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. last — to go on
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. clip — for paper
  14. last — finally
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — clothes
  17. press — newspapers
  18. clip — a video
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — final
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — to fit
  23. track — a path
  24. clip — to cut

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