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

Word bank: club · bowl · bass · press · cold · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. club — for golf
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. club — a group
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. toast — bread
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. press — to push
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — for dancing

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