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: prune · fine · foot · coach · press · racket · band · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. foot — a measure
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fine — all right
  15. band — a music group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — for digging
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. fine — high quality

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