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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. press — to push
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bass — low music
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — the fish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of law

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