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: drill · fan · pit · court · rush · snap · press · straw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — newspapers
  4. court — for sport
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. drill — a practice
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. press — to push
  18. court — of a king
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. straw — dry grass

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