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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — to push
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ground — a position
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. press — newspapers
  19. swing — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — a publisher
  24. saw — the tool

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