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: band · pit · vault · kick · present · press · staff · straw

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — in football
  9. present — there
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — in a race
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. present — the time now
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — a gift
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — a safe

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