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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. field — farmland
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — a break
  7. press — to push
  8. field — a subject
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer

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