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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — of the year
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. press — a publisher
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. press — to push
  24. season — in sport

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