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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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