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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pop — music
  3. press — to push
  4. fork — in a road
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — soda
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. press — newspapers
  20. march — music
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — to visit
  23. club — a group
  24. fork — to eat with

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