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: press · stem · spell · mate · coach · jam · kid · squash

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kid — to tease
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spell — magic
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. press — to push
  24. mate — to breed

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