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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bass — low music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — employees
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — to push
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. swing — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — a trainer

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