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: toast · pitch · sharp · press · object · lie · chair · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chair — a leader
  5. object — a thing
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. press — to push
  10. object — an aim
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — to recline
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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