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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. press — to push
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. court — for sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — a safe
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — of law
  13. fall — the season
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitch — completely
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. swing — music
  22. court — of a king
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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