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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — money
  8. hand — help
  9. board — to get on
  10. court — of a king
  11. board — a committee
  12. court — for sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. field — farmland
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — a publisher
  18. capital — a city
  19. press — newspapers
  20. field — a subject
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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