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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · court · press · lean · ball · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. press — to push
  13. lean — thin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chair — a leader

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