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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bass — low music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. press — to push
  16. season — in sport
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bat — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. press — a publisher

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