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: lean · press · row · bark · pop · key · stick · mate

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — to push
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — to shout
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — soda
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — thin

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