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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. press — a publisher
  10. drill — army training
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chair — a leader
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — to come down

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