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: pop · coach · staff · spring · bound · pitch · pit · press

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pit — in a race
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pit — a hole
  11. staff — employees
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitch — completely
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pop — soda

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