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 120 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: press · mouse · lean · ruler · stand · pop · branch · stick

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — to push
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. press — newspapers
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — thin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — music

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