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

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — music
  8. board — a committee
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pitch — completely
  16. press — to push
  17. chair — a leader
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. march — the month
  22. press — a publisher
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. press — newspapers

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