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 · bass · cold · cell · trunk · saw · mug · suit

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cold — an illness
  3. press — to push
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — not warm
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mug — a cup
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — a phone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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