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: can · mate · cabinet · straw · game · content · press · face

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. press — newspapers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — to be able to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — a publisher
  9. game — a match
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a partner
  13. press — to push
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mate — to breed
  18. content — happy
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mate — a friend
  21. content — the amount
  22. game — wild animals
  23. face — to confront
  24. straw — a straw man

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