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

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — newspapers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — a group
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — high quality
  18. club — for dancing

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