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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — to wash
  4. craft — a skill
  5. file — a line of people
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — for dancing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. court — of law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — boats
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — a group
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — rain
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. file — a 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