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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. board — a committee
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. land — a country
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — to come down
  20. capital — money
  21. chair — a leader
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — ground
  24. capital — a big letter

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